Expanded cognition, complex dynamic systems, and decision-making in sports

Abstract

The understanding of cognition in sports has undergone a significant transformation in recent decades, shifting from internalist models based on information processing to extended perspectives that recognize the constitutive role of the environment, the body, and material and social tools in cognitive functioning. The concept of extended cognition, articulated with theories of complex dynamic systems and enactive and ecological approaches, offers a robust theoretical framework to understand action and decision-making in overly complex contexts such as sports. This article aims to examine in depth the theoretical and epistemological foundations of extended cognition applied to sports, emphasizing its interface with dynamic systems, cognition, metacognition, and regulation. This article discusses the implications of metacognition as a mechanism for monitoring and adaptive control, as well as its articulation with stability and metastability regimes in nonlinear systems. This work aims to establish a solid conceptual foundation for integrating extended cognition, complex dynamics, and regulatory processes, preparing the ground for a deeper examination of the emotional and decision-making dimensions in the second part of the study.